The majority of the online courses at TCL are based on a platform called Blackboard on the World Wide Web. Course materials are uploaded onto the Blackboard platform and are then accessible to the students and instructors from any computer that is properly configured and has the appropriate software and access to the web. All of our online courses are hosted locally on TCL's own server.

Online courses have been developed for many of the subjects taught at TCL, although all of them will not necessarily be available every semester. Online courses generally require that the students buy a textbook in addition to the material that is presented to them "online". In addition, they are generally informed of and submit their assignments online. Many of the quizzes and tests of the course will be given online, however some of the instructors require their students to take written final exams on campus at the Testing Center. Most of the instructors make use of in-course email, discussions and bulletin boards to communicate back and forth with their students. In some cases, instructors will also require participation in Chat Rooms online.

Your Blackboard password is the first initial of your last name typed as a lowercase letter and the last three numbers of your social security number. For example, the password for John Smith-Jones with a social security number of 123-45-6789 is s789.

Log in to your "myBlackboard" page and then click on the hyperlink for the course on which you will be working. This will display the home page for that course. Some courses may require an Access Code, which should come bundled with your textbook, the first time you attempt to access the course. Enter the code when requested and be careful to duplicate exactly what is provided with special emphasis on case and alpha characters.

On the course "Homepage" you will find a group of icons that displays the primary areas of your course. It is a good idea to first access the Syllabus by clicking on the Syllabus icon. In general, the Syllabus provides you with information about the instructor, course, goals, and the course requirements including textbook information. You may want to print a copy of the Syllabus for reference after you exit your online course. After viewing the Syllabus, return to the course "Homepage" by clicking on the word "Homepage" on the breadcrumb menu. You should then visit the course calendar by clicking on the "Calendar" icon. The calendar provides you with information about when assignments are due, when chat rooms will be held, when papers are due and when quizzes and tests are given. Your instructor may choose to add other general information to the calendar so that it is available to all members of the class. After viewing the calendar entries, you can then proceed by clicking the icons to begin your course work. If you have any problems with the operation of any of the features of the course, you should contact the Help Desk.

If you have any trouble accessing your course, entering a required access code, or any problems with the operation of the features of the course, contact the Online Course Help Desk by telephone at 843-525-8344, via email at helpdesk@tcl.edu, or visit us in Building 1, Room 210 during our office hours. You may also leave a voice mail message giving us your name, time, date of your call, the course you are having a problem with, the details of the problem, a telephone number where you can be reached during the Online Course Help Desk office hours, and the most convenient time for us to return your call during those office hours. The Online Course Help Desk office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. This schedule varies between semesters. These hours are also posted on the in the Announcements area of your "myBlackboard" page.

If you are having trouble with the content of your course, completing your assignments, completing your quizzes and tests, participating in Chat Rooms or Course Discussions, or simply falling behind in your class; you should contact your instructor. You will find the office location, office hours, email address, and office telephone number in the syllabus of your course.

Use the "Mail" feature steps below to communicate with your instructor within Blackboard.

1. From the "Mail" or "Mail Messages" screen, click "Compose message".  The "Compose Mail Message" screen displays in a new browser window.
2. Complete the "Send to" text box by clicking "Browse" to view the list of possible recipients.
3. To select a recipient, click the name of the person.  To select more than one recipient, hold the "CTRL" key while selecting the names.
4. Click "Done".
5. In the "Subject" text box, enter the subject.  This text box cannot be left blank.
6. Compose your message by typing in the "Message text box".  If you want to attach a file, click "Browse" next to the "Attachments" button, locate and select the file you want to upload and click "Attach file".  The path and filename of your attachment appears in the "Attachments" text box.  The file name appears as a hyperlink, and the file is attached to your message.
7. If you want to preview your message before sending it, click "Preview".  A preview of your message appears in a new browser window.
8. Click "Close" and the "Compose Mail Message" screen displays.
9. Click "Send" to send the message and place a copy in the "Outbox" folder.